As with any plumbing fixture, toilets are subject to corrosion and other wear due to age, ambient moisture, stresses, water leakage, and the like. For example, in a typical toilet system, a ring, secured to the floor, attaches to a toilet and holds the toilet in position over the sewer pipe flange. A gasket is usually provided to maintain the toilet drain in fluid communication with the sewer pipe. However, as alluded to above, the ring often corrodes and weakens. This weakening can be attributed to a variety of factors such as the moisture leaking from the connection between the toilet drain and the sewer pipe, the age of the toilet system, the stresses of securing the toilet to the floor, and the ambient moisture in the air of a typical bathroom which may include a sink, shower, and other water sources. Moreover, it is known in the art that discontinuities in materials such as holes, bends, and the like, increase the local stress and, thus, are most likely to be the site of stress and corrosion induced failure.
When this weakening occurs, the toilet ring must be replaced. In a typical toilet system, the sewer pipe is flared at its end proximate the toilet drain. The ring is disposed in a channel around the circumference of the sewer pipe below the toilet flange and is secured to the floor.
One replacement flange and ring combination in the prior art is a continuous ring. Because these prior art flange and ring combinations were continuous, the channel and flare would have to be cut from the sewer pipe, such as with a jackhammer, and the entire upper end of the sewer pipe replaced along with a new flange and ring. This often resulted in leakage and required a great deal of time and effort.
Another replacement ring in the prior art is disclosed by Dranberg in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,372. This replacement ring is similar to the original ring with two overlapping joints. These joints allow the replacement ring to be inserted into the existing channel which held the original ring and secured to the floor after the original ring is removed. Thus, this replacement ring eliminates the steps of cutting the flare from the sewer pipe and replacing the upper end of the sewer pipe.
However, the device of Dranberg has three disadvantages. First, as discussed above, toilet rings often corrode and weaken at or near the holes securing the toilet ring to the floor because the local stresses are increased near the holes. Because the device of Dranberg is intended to be secured to the floor through holes, the device does not solve the problem of corrosion around the floor holes.
Second, the device of Dranberg has a fixed diameter. Thus, different diameter rings must be made to accommodate different diameter sewer pipes.
Third, because the device of Dranberg is intended to fit within the existing channel around the sewer pipe, the device may not be used if the channel is itself corroded or otherwise damaged. For example, if the channel is corroded or damaged while removing the original ring, the device of Dranberg cannot be used.
Thus, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a replacement toilet ring which fits around the existing flared sewer pipe below the flange, does not require holes for securing the ring to the floor, is adjustable to accommodate different diameter sewer pipes, and may be secured to the flared sewer pipe itself rather than the channel around the flare.